Lack of freedom of speech in the U.S.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

I need some articles on lack of freedom of speech in the U.S.


Thanks

[Rawthentic]

Well, correct me if Im wrong, but how is there lack of freedom of speech in the US? Maybe Im not seeing it from a different point of view, but we cant be hypocritical because the US is one of the countries with the most free speech. I understand that people have been murdered and arrested for speaking against the US government, but explain the lack of freedom of speech please, I want to know if Im wrong. thanks comrade

[Mesijs]

The CIA closed down a website of Iraqi veterans who revealed secrets about the use of white phosphorous.

There isn't so much lack of freedom of speech in the US, but lack of response to that freedom of speech. Because of the ties between the corporate media and the government, news stations won't always portray opinions or unknown facts. So yes, you can scream 'The president sucks' on a big square, but when you got a different opinion that matters, it won't be heared.

[Rawthentic]

Guess youre right. When it came down to the immigration protests in the US, I barely heard anything, much less saw it live on TV. The media kept it down and made sure people were not aware of the turmoil as much as possible.

[RevSouth]

Haha, I actually thought they shut us down. But I don't know if the Revleft servers are in the U.S.? Anyone know? Anyway, it is not necessarily the U.S. government. The media here in the States does alot of self-censorship. Nothing to radical or against the goverment makes it in the mainstream.

[WUOrevolt]

Fallujah: The Hidden Massacre shows information about the lack of freedom of speech about the war in the media in America.

[Janus]

There are the infoshop breakins that was the work of the US government. You could talk about that.

[emma_goldman]

I definitely think there's a lack of freedom of speech in the U.S. Look at the crusade that's going on now with leftist professors. Look at the history teacher who is getting punished for making an anti-Bush comment. Look at Cindy Sheehan. Look at how they're trying to silence Ward Churchill.

Also freedom of speech is not limited to verbal speech and is synonymous with freedom of expression. Well, in the words of Propagandhi "If this country is so goddamn free, then I can burn your fucking flag wherever I goddamn please." Look at flag burning. Look at how this used to be accepted.

Plus they're are the restrictions of freedom of speech that the government doesn't even question, that are considered "legitimate":
1) prevention of defamation
2) protection on national security and public order (You can't incite a riot, look at Emma Goldman.)
3) protection of health and morals

Look up this case (I found it on wikipedia.org):
Dr. Elsebeth Baumgartner currently faces up to 109 years in prison in the U.S. state of Ohio for her criticism of, and accusations of corruption against, government officials in Ohio.

Also, I'm a high school student and I was looking through the Code of Conduct that they give you every year (the one you're not really supposed to read, just sign a paper that you agree with it). And there's a few things that also prohibit free speech in high school, naturally as minors we don't have full first amendment rights but I still find these to be pretty restrictive:
1) Responsibility: To act in a manner which preserves the dignity of patriotic observances. Rights: To affirm their identity with the American ideals, (i.e. pledging allegiance to the flag)
2) Responsibility: To respect the religious beliefs of others. Rights: To refrain from any activity which violates the precepts of their religion.

Remember freedom of speech is designed to cover even the things we most vehemently disagree with. :blink:

[Ander]

Originally posted by [email protected] 6 2006, 01:33 PM
I need some articles on lack of freedom of speech in the U.S.


Thanks
Look up the FCC.

[Zero]

Google search - Cointelpro (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=cointelpro).
Google search - FCC (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=FCC).
Google search - Patriot Act (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=Patriot+Act).
Wikipedia definition of Neo-Conservative (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservative).

Also, its not so much the government anymore that tries to demonize dissention. For the large part its the stupid ass patriots who swallow anything said by anyone who brands him or herself a 'Conservative' (which in the U.S. is contradictory to Traditional Conservatism, and its name in and of itself.) Also its for a large part the "liberal" media. Heres a good example from my local chapter of Indymedia about Anarchists in Portland who get deamonized by the "free press" and news.

(I cant find a direct link to the torrent, so here is the page.)
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/videos/#F...eCorporateMedia (http://portland.indymedia.org/en/videos/#FuckTheCorporateMedia)

Haply named: Fuck the Corporate Media.

[rebelworker]

Noam Chomsky did an excellent book/study on the limits of the press in the US, not so much limits on freedom of speech(its pretty free) its just that the media dose lots of self censoring.

anyway its called Manufacturing concent.

I would also check out FAIR, Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting. They watch the media and have a regular magazine.

[Cheung Mo]

Without even getting into political and ideological censorship, one only has to examine the Bush Admin's current attempts to crack down on online adult obscenity (basically, porn that does not inovolve the exploitation of children), the passage and subsequent enforcement of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the failed attempts by the federal government to ban pro-cannabis ads from Metro Washington D.C.'s public transportation system, and the whole clusterfuck involving Janet Jackson's nipple to realise that there is no such thing as free speech in the U.S.

The fact that the average American finds an exposed nipple more offensive than hate speech makes me wonder if these people deserve their freedom at all...lol

[Rawthentic]

I was thinking on this issue of free speech and I came up with an abstract idea on it .

What if, this free speech that we supposedly have, is not really existant because, when radicals or intellectuals or simply people who wish to publicly reprimand the US government, they dont do it because inside they feel that they will be alienated from people, and themselves will be reprimanded. They fear that people will look at them weirdly, and choose to simply keep shut.

[Ander]

Originally posted by [email protected] 13 2006, 07:15 PM
What if, this free speech that we supposedly have, is not really existant because, when radicals or intellectuals or simply people who wish to publicly reprimand the US government, they dont do it because inside they feel that they will be alienated from people, and themselves will be reprimanded. They fear that people will look at them weirdly, and choose to simply keep shut.
Of course! That's why kids at school get beaten to a pulp while others stand around and watch. That's why countries get invaded and devastated while governments turn a blind eye. That's why more people don't crowd the streets in protest and revolution. All of this is because of what you just said...at least that's how I feel.

[RebelDog]

There is a lack of freedom of speech in the US as there is in the UK. You have little support in the media if you wish to stand for human rights, but great support if you wish to diminish them. Is that freedom of speech?

In capitalism the rich have the money and the freedom to be heard, the poor have no money and thus no voice. Fuck that and fuck the rich and capitalism and fuck the lie of free speech.

[Zero]

hastavictoria, its not a new idea. Google 'False Conciousness'.

[emma_goldman]

Also look at the parental advisory warnings on cds. Search Tipper Gore. Search Dead Kennedys & the Frankenchrist trial (and countless others). :P

[Gura]

Look at the way the FCC censors TV and radio broadcasts for "indecency", banning certain words or actions because they offend some highly sensitive morons somewhere (see Focus on the Family, James Dobson, Family Research Coucil - in other words, Christian nutcases). Much of this is done under the guise of "protecting the children". Because, y'know, if a child were to see sex or hear "fuck" on TV, they might become a raving homicidal sex fiend lunatic.

[Mesijs]

Originally posted by [email protected] 11 2006, 10:31 PM
I definitely think there's a lack of freedom of speech in the U.S. Look at the crusade that's going on now with leftist professors. Look at the history teacher who is getting punished for making an anti-Bush comment. Look at Cindy Sheehan. Look at how they're trying to silence Ward Churchill.

Also freedom of speech is not limited to verbal speech and is synonymous with freedom of expression. Well, in the words of Propagandhi "If this country is so goddamn free, then I can burn your fucking flag wherever I goddamn please." Look at flag burning. Look at how this used to be accepted.

Plus they're are the restrictions of freedom of speech that the government doesn't even question, that are considered "legitimate":
1) prevention of defamation
2) protection on national security and public order (You can't incite a riot, look at Emma Goldman.)
3) protection of health and morals

Look up this case (I found it on wikipedia.org):
Dr. Elsebeth Baumgartner currently faces up to 109 years in prison in the U.S. state of Ohio for her criticism of, and accusations of corruption against, government officials in Ohio.

Also, I'm a high school student and I was looking through the Code of Conduct that they give you every year (the one you're not really supposed to read, just sign a paper that you agree with it). And there's a few things that also prohibit free speech in high school, naturally as minors we don't have full first amendment rights but I still find these to be pretty restrictive:
1) Responsibility: To act in a manner which preserves the dignity of patriotic observances. Rights: To affirm their identity with the American ideals, (i.e. pledging allegiance to the flag)
2) Responsibility: To respect the religious beliefs of others. Rights: To refrain from any activity which violates the precepts of their religion.

Remember freedom of speech is designed to cover even the things we most vehemently disagree with. :blink:
Are you serious? That's pretty shocking. How is it possible that the university demands you to be patriottic. It's just disgusting.


I was thinking on this issue of free speech and I came up with an abstract idea on it .

What if, this free speech that we supposedly have, is not really existant because, when radicals or intellectuals or simply people who wish to publicly reprimand the US government, they dont do it because inside they feel that they will be alienated from people, and themselves will be reprimanded. They fear that people will look at them weirdly, and choose to simply keep shut.

I made a paper about Uzbekistan with a similiar (but worse) situation like that, and I call it "self-censorship because of the justified fear of repression".

In America it's self-censorship in a more subtile way, and repression in a more subtile way. And that's the scary thing about it, the people don't know at all that they are not 100% free and are constantly manipulated.

By the way, watch the documentary Orwell rolls in his grave to get loads of information about this subject.

And of course, like one person mentioned, there was the censorship of communist opinions, especially in the Mc Carthy period.

[The Living Red]

U.S Secret Service visits seventh-grader for writing an essay (http://www.freepeoplesmovement.org/ry/ryw5c.html)

Also, I think the Bush Admin's random bugging of private telephone calls would count as a limit on free speech, although I'm not sure to what extent this was.

[emma_goldman]

Originally posted by [email protected] 17 2006, 08:02 PM
Are you serious? That's pretty shocking. How is it possible that the university demands you to be patriottic. It's just disgusting.

Apparently, it WAS a law in Florida to stand for the pledge of allegiance and now it isn't anymore. However, I've never pledged allegiance so...fuck em!

[Dreckt]

I know one thing that is absolutely forbidden to at least write an publish in the US - and that is how to crack music CD, DVDs and other media. Of course, since intellectual property is a more serious crime than anything else, I wouldn't be so surprised... especially in the world's one and only hyperpower.

[Ander]

Originally posted by The Living [email protected] 17 2006, 07:39 PM
U.S Secret Service visits seventh-grader for writing an essay (http://www.freepeoplesmovement.org/ry/ryw5c.html)
Smart kid!